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Pagano AM, Rode KD, Lunn NJ, McGeachy D, Atkinson SN, Farley SD, Erlenbach JA, Robbins CT. Polar bear energetic and behavioral strategies on land with implications for surviving the ice-free period. Nat Commun 2024; 15:947. [PMID: 38351211 PMCID: PMC10864307 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44682-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Declining Arctic sea ice is increasing polar bear land use. Polar bears on land are thought to minimize activity to conserve energy. Here, we measure the daily energy expenditure (DEE), diet, behavior, movement, and body composition changes of 20 different polar bears on land over 19-23 days from August to September (2019-2022) in Manitoba, Canada. Polar bears on land exhibited a 5.2-fold range in DEE and 19-fold range in activity, from hibernation-like DEEs to levels approaching active bears on the sea ice, including three individuals that made energetically demanding swims totaling 54-175 km. Bears consumed berries, vegetation, birds, bones, antlers, seal, and beluga. Beyond compensating for elevated DEE, there was little benefit from terrestrial foraging toward prolonging the predicted time to starvation, as 19 of 20 bears lost mass (0.4-1.7 kg•day-1). Although polar bears on land exhibit remarkable behavioral plasticity, our findings reinforce the risk of starvation, particularly in subadults, with forecasted increases in the onshore period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Pagano
- U. S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA.
| | - Karyn D Rode
- U. S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
| | - Nicholas J Lunn
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - David McGeachy
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | | | - Sean D Farley
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Anchorage, AK, 99518, USA
| | - Joy A Erlenbach
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Kodiak, AK, 99615, USA
| | - Charles T Robbins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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Becker MH, Brophy JAN, Barrett K, Bronikowski E, Evans M, Glassey E, Kaganer AW, Klocke B, Lassiter E, Meyer AJ, Muletz-Wolz CR, Fleischer RC, Voigt CA, Gratwicke B. Genetically modifying skin microbe to produce violacein and augmenting microbiome did not defend Panamanian golden frogs from disease. ISME Commun 2021; 1:57. [PMID: 37938636 PMCID: PMC9723765 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-021-00044-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
We designed two probiotic treatments to control chytridiomycosis caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) on infected Panamanian golden frogs (Atelopus zeteki), a species that is thought to be extinct in the wild due to Bd. The first approach disrupted the existing skin microbe community with antibiotics then exposed the frogs to a core golden frog skin microbe (Diaphorobacter sp.) that we genetically modified to produce high titers of violacein, a known antifungal compound. One day following probiotic treatment, the engineered Diaphorobacter and the violacein-producing pathway could be detected on the frogs but the treatment failed to improve frog survival when exposed to Bd. The second approach exposed frogs to the genetically modified bacterium mixed into a consortium with six other known anti-Bd bacteria isolated from captive A. zeteki, with no preliminary antibiotic treatment. The consortium treatment increased the frequency and abundance of three probiotic isolates (Janthinobacterium, Chryseobacterium, and Stenotrophomonas) and these persisted on the skin 4 weeks after probiotic treatment. There was a temporary increase in the frequency and abundance of three other probiotics isolates (Masillia, Serratia, and Pseudomonas) and the engineered Diaphorobacter isolate, but they subsequently disappeared from the skin. This treatment also failed to reduce frog mortality upon exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Becker
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Liberty University Department of Biology and Chemistry, Lynchburg, VA, USA
| | - Jennifer A N Brophy
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Ed Bronikowski
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Reptile Discovery Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Matthew Evans
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Reptile Discovery Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emerson Glassey
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alyssa W Kaganer
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Blake Klocke
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Elliot Lassiter
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Reptile Discovery Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Adam J Meyer
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Conservation Genetics, Washington, DC, 20001, USA
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Conservation Genetics, Washington, DC, 20001, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian Gratwicke
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival, Front Royal, VA, USA.
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Vanderwolf KJ, Campbell LJ, Goldberg TL, Blehert DS, Lorch JM. Skin fungal assemblages of bats vary based on susceptibility to white-nose syndrome. ISME J 2021; 15:909-920. [PMID: 33149209 PMCID: PMC8027032 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00821-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Microbial skin assemblages, including fungal communities, can influence host resistance to infectious diseases. The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that high-diversity communities are less easily invaded than species-poor communities, and thus diverse microbial communities may prevent pathogens from colonizing a host. To explore the hypothesis that host fungal communities mediate resistance to infection by fungal pathogens, we investigated characteristics of bat skin fungal communities as they relate to susceptibility to the emerging disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). Using a culture-based approach, we compared skin fungal assemblage characteristics of 10 bat species that differ in susceptibility to WNS across 10 eastern U.S. states. The fungal assemblages on WNS-susceptible bat species had significantly lower alpha diversity and abundance compared to WNS-resistant species. Overall fungal assemblage structure did not vary based on WNS-susceptibility, but several yeast species were differentially abundant on WNS-resistant bat species. One yeast species inhibited Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent on WNS, in vitro under certain conditions, suggesting a possible role in host protection. Further exploration of interactions between Pd and constituents of skin fungal assemblages may prove useful for predicting susceptibility of bat populations to WNS and for developing effective mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Vanderwolf
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Lewis J Campbell
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - David S Blehert
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA.
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